Whether its testing one's eyesight, monitoring our mood swings or getting a feel for our fitness, there are a growing number of devices and apps to help keep tabs on our wellbeing. SandPiper is the latest in a line of smartphone-centric health solutions and is designed as a cheaper alternative to conventional lung monitoring devices.

SandPiper is designed as a simplified and affordable spirometer, a machine used to monitor airflow through the lungs. After plugging it into the headphone jack on either an Android or iOS device, the user blows into one end of the unit. A sensor inside generates electricity proportional to the velocity of air passing through it and measures the volume of air moving through the tube, relaying this information to the companion app.